The Day That Sophie Leaves
by Mockingjay1313
Summary: Set in the Movie, what if the night Sophie ran out on Howl when he was calling the spirits was for good? Is it really though? How'd she break her own curse? Will she pull through everything and be with Howl, or will his struggle be for nothing?
1. Hissy Fits and Sleeping Sophie

**Sophie's POV:**

I was so sick of his attitude. His constant mood swings, his being tired and then all excited to be around me and Markl and Calcifer. What was wrong with him? I replay the moment in my head. "I don't see a point in living if I can't be beautiful." He said, what made him think that would ever be an okay thing to say? To someone who was cursed by the witch of the waste and turned into someone way older then I am un-cursed.

I look back at the moving Castle hearing what seems like shrieks from Calcifer. Sure I had grown to love them all, but how… how can I live with people who acted like they were five, with the exclusion of Markl, who mostly acted older then Howl. I looked down at my hands unwrinkled and almost _young._ I sighed as the tears poured down my face as I continued away from the castle. _I'm so sorry guys; I just can't live with Howl anymore._

"Sophie! Howls in trouble! We need you, please don't go!" Markl came running towards me, and stopped when he was about a foot away from me. He looked at me with huge blue eyes. His voice running through my veins, _Howls in trouble._ My subconscious was finally starting to get to me, how could I be selfish and be more like him? Could I stand to go back in there knowing that I love Howl and suffer as a cleaning lady as he goes off for hours on end with the possibility of never returning home, to Markl, to Cal, to_ me? _"Sophie?" he looked up at me and I looked down at him, tears forming in his eyes. "You're, you're so young." I looked down at my hands, they had staid young, and I looked at Markl with the same big eyes he was mirroring at me.

"I'm… young?" I heard my voice, accent strong and my voice sounded young. "Oh Markl!" I grabbed him into my arms as he jumped willingly. He cried into my shoulder and I cried into his hair, gripping his body closely towards me. The ground shook waking me and Markl up from this imaginary world we had put ourselves in, a world of complete bliss, even if it was just for a moment, we looked at the castle in unison, it was falling down right in front of our eyes. "Markl. RUN!" I screamed, the sound of my own voice scaring me a little as I screamed.

We darted for the castle door running as fast as we could, Markl had made it toward the door and I waved him inside, I would make it there as soon as I could catch my breath. I looked up and there it was, I knew I wouldn't make it back to the castle, I knew there was no chance of me telling Howl how I felt, before I knew it there was a large piece of the castle on my back slamming me into the ground. All I feel was the moist ground of the wastes and the feeling of all hope being lost.

**Howls POV:**

Sure, I guess you could say I was over reacting by calling dark spirits, and almost drowning Calcifer with green goo, but hey, my hairs pretty damn important to me. Markl thankfully had gotten to me in time and saved Calcifer from the goo running around screaming something about Sophie and young. I was too far out to fully understand; all I remember was the Sophie _wasn't_ there to help me when I needed her the most. I thought I had finally gotten to know her, finally realizing who she was, who I could be with her, who I wanted to be with her, but this changes everything.

I've been lying in bed for the past few hours regaining my strength from my long call to the dark spirits, and I was finally ready to go out in flight again. I looked around my room, forgetting the castle was mostly destroyed due to Calcifer almost dying, and me almost with him. I slowly got up out of bed, a little sore but nothing bad. I walked through my bedroom towards the door when the gem on my loose string turned a dark black. Something was wrong. I sprinted down the stairs to find Markl curled in a ball crying on the floor and Calcifer not laughing at the fact that he might have said something, not bragging that he made Markl cry, but he too had the solemn face of sadness on his fire demon face.

"Why the long faces guys?" I looked around the room looking for Sophie, hoping she had come back when I was resting. I walked down the stairs and opened the curtain to where she slept, she wasn't there, she wouldn't be ever again I guess. Markl looked over to me his eyes red from crying and Calcifer turning his back on me. "Markl, Cal is there something your not telling me?" I walked over to the two taking a seat in my chair that rested in front of Cal.

"Master Howl… Sophie." I cringed at her name, the open wound sore from her leaving in such a hurry. I held up my hand, signalizing him to stop, I could hear no more about her. "But you don't understand!" he screamed at me and I shook my head.

"I don't understand? She's the reason I threw the fit, I told her what not to do and she did it anyway, I can't live with someone who disobeys me! Not to mention she wasn't there to come back and help me, she didn't bother to say goodbye obviously and she didn't care too. I don't want to hear anymore of Sophie, she's gone, for good." I never yelled, never really raised my voice, especially at Markl, but he had asked for it.

He stood his ground, walking over to me and pointing his finger in my chest I looked at him taken aback. "Master Howl, I don't mean disrespect," he started off his voice very low. "I just… God I hate you! You're the reason Sophie's missing! We were running back to help you yesterday and I ran ahead into the room to help you and she told me she'd be right there, and she's not back. She loved us Howl, she wouldn't have just left us! Are you crazy? I know you're mad I know you haven't the heart to hold this in, but Master Howl, she's out there somewhere in the wreckage and she needs _your_ help."

"How? I don't want to. I want to see her suffer, as she can't break her spell. I want to see her suffer just as I do everyday." Markl looked like he was going to slap me in the face, and maybe I did need it.

"Howl, she broke her curse, when we separated she was young, her beauty so bright. Howl listen to yourself, we both know that she was never around just to clean." I looked at him his heart beating so loud I could hear it. Maybe, it was just a wizard thing though.

"I have to get her." I stated. There was no other option for me anymore, she was it for me, once this war was over I'd tell her, tell her that she means the world to me and I would do anything for her just like she's done for me.

I ran out the door almost wanting to turn into my bird form, but knowing that if she were under wreckage I would never see her. I walked kicking wreckage up, lifting random things looking for any signs of Sophie. I searched for hours, going north, south, east, and finally west looking for her. Markl came out once or twice and Cal wishing he could help look for her. It was my job though, I was the reason she was gone from us for now.

"Howl?" Markl came up close behind me tugging on my shirt, tears running down his face.

"Yes?" I replied to tired and upset to pull together more of a sentence.

"What… What if we're to late?" I could tell he immediately regretted what he said as he cringed at his own words. I just looked at Markl, knowing he was right. _What if we were to late?_ How could I live with myself? How could I go on with life knowing that I killed the one girl that could ever love me for me?

"Don't worry Markl, we're not." I said confidently, but he looked right through me, and I could tell he knew I was lying. He embraced me, for the first time since I took the kid on as an apprentice, but this unlike then was a hug that I much needed. I wrapped my arms around his little frame, dropping onto my knees as he buried his head in the crook of my shoulder. I looked behind him and I saw it, it had to be her! I ran to it leaving Markl there shocked at my sudden movements but his eyes followed me. Silver was sticking out of the wreckage and I could have sworn it moved a little. "SOPHIE!" I screamed, no response. I lifted my fingers and concentrated on the debris on top of her and lifted it up, to see that there was no Sophie, simply silver fabric left from her bed sheets that she had left out to dry.

I dropped to my knees my hands in my hair once again crying my eyes out. Not daring to call the spirits again, I just needed to cry. I sat there for what felt like forever when I heard my name. I looked around Markl had gone inside long ago, leaving me to cry.

"Howl…" it said so weakly that it could have been a figment of my imagination, or the Witch of the Waste.

"Hello?" I called out my voice not sounding like my own due to crying so hard.

"Howl." It said and I so scared to move kneeled there paralyzed. "Help Howl." It sounded like a command, for someone to help me, but I knew whom it was, I just needed to find her.

"Sophie! Where are you?" I screamed running frantically around in circles listening and waiting for her to talk again.

"Your close Howl…" her voice dropped again, but I wasn't quick enough. "I'm so close Howl; just let me die…" her voice fading off and I ran around even more frantically calling Markl out to help me. We ran around for what seemed like hours but could only have been minutes. "Oww." It said and I looked to the ground, her hand. I had stepped on her hand.

"MARKL! Over here!" I screamed waving toward myself for him to come here. I raised my two fingers trying to lift the debris but found it to heavy for my weak self. Markl looked at me and I shook my head. "We need to do this together. On three." He looked at me and nodded.

"Anything for Sophie." He said and I smiled and looked at him smiling.

"Anything for Sophie indeed." I smiled at him as we lifted our left hands in unison. "One, two, three!" before my eyes laid Sophie, my silver haired Sophie. My young silver haired Sophie withering in pain.

"Howl, let me die…you can't save me this time. You can't always win Howl, you have to learn to loose too, and I'm sorry it has to be me. I just want you to know… that I love you so much more then I ever thought I could. I don't regret loving you Howl, I never will. I'm sorry." I grasped her hand as I carefully lifted her up and brought her to my heart. My fire demon. I brought her into my house and laid her on the floor when Markl put down a blanket underneath her. I tried for hours to fix her, to mend her, to help her, only causing her more pain. When the wounds were semi healed her breathing steadied and me and Markl brought her up to my room.

"What now Master Howl?" Markl asked me. I looked at him and patted his back.

"We've done all we can, it's her that has to fight through it all to come back to us. Go down and tell Calcifer to start warm water for your bath, I'm going to sit here with her for awhile." He nodded and headed towards the door, when he reached it he looked back at Sophie and ran to her kissing her on the cheek and whispering something into her hair. He walked out of the room without saying anything else.


	2. Not Since Madame Sulliman

I walked over to Sophie pulling a chair next to my bed and grabbing ahold of her hand, lacing our fingers together. I looked down at her sleeping form, her chest slowly rising and falling in a safe and steady rhythm. What have I done to her? Will she ever wake up from the awful trauma that I've so easily put her through? The clocks ticking in my room one after the other, the gem on the long sting was a dark grey, the Witch of the Waste was trying to find my castle. I looked down at Sophie; surely I could go tell Calcifer to move the castle without her waking up to no one. I smiled down at her moving a stray piece of her short grey hair from her face. I slowly unlaced our fingers and walked towards my door, opening it and walking towards Calcifer.

"Calcifer," I called to him from the top of the stairs walking down slowly, I needed something to drink anyway. "Move the castle sixty miles to the east." I could hear him groan from where I was standing.

"Howl, this is getting old, I'm done moving the castle around!" he whined and as I reached the bottom of the castle he sighed and huffed but I crossed my hands over my chest meaning business.

"This is for Sophie." I knew it would work, but I also knew it was a hard and difficult card to play with him. I know that he had grown to love Sophie (well as much as a fire demon could). The castle started to move beneath me and I knew that Calcifer would learn my trick one day, that none of this was for Sophie, but for me trying to hide from everything. Running away was I guess my specialty.

"You know Howl, when Sophie was down here I didn't want to tell you in front of the kid, but she doesn't look good, the odds of her pulling through are slim. I just… I think that you should know that before you spend days on end by her bedside waiting for her to wake. She'd want you to do what you need to do, to go see the King." I looked at him wide eyed; did he just tell me to go see the King?

"Calcifer, if I go see the King it would be Madame Sulliman, and you know she would take my powers forever. I could never save her then, and who would know what would happen to you." I looked at him but he crossed his fire like arms at me and stuck out his tongue.

"I'm sure you'd be fine if you just explained yourself to her, she'd understand Howl, you were young and naïve, you wouldn't know that swallowing me would cause me to take your heart." I sighed at him as I grabbed my glass of water and headed back up the stairs towards Sophie.

"Thanks for starting a bath for Markl, the kid needed a shower desperately." With that I opened the door to my bedroom and took place back in my chair next to Sophie. I laced our fingers together once more and gripped it tight hoping for something in return. Nothing.

"Hey Sophie." I said stroking her hair, "Sophie this is all my fault, if I wouldn't have thrown that fit you wouldn't be in this position." I sighed and grabbed her hand with both of mine. "Calcifer thinks I should go see the King, maybe I should. My hunger for freedoms half what got me in this mess. What would have happened if I never swallowed Calcifer that night? You would never have been even turned old, I wouldn't have saved you from those two guards in the alley, and I would have never even met you. You could have been safe at home in your hat shop with your family, never worrying about me eating your heart." I was more talking to myself now then to her; I just needed to hear this all outside of my head. "Maybe I should go fight for the King, but would I loose my powers? Would I loose you?" I laugh, "I've already lost you haven't I Sophie? So what's left worth living for? I have no family besides Markl and Calcifer, and if I went to the King it would leave Markl. How could I let him fend for himself? He barely knows enough magic because of me, from me running away." I let go of her hands and walk to the walls banging my hands against them. "Why am I such a coward? Why do I run away from everything and everyone? I should have learned long ago it just hurts the ones I love, it always hurts my family." I looked back at Sophie; her body remained unmoved, motionless besides the rise and fall of her chest. There was a slight knock on the door and within the split second I knew what I had to do once again.

"Markl, I need your help." I looked to him, his eyes big, I never asked him for help. I always did things where I never needed it. "I need you to watch Sophie until my return." He looked at me and nodded his head and walked over and sat himself down in the chair I was residing in only moments ago. I opened the door and looked back once more to see Markl crying into Sophie's hands, I think he loved her more then Cal and then me put together.

"Howl? Are you going out to fly?" Calcifer asked me as I walked towards the door. I turned the dial to the Kingsbury Port, I was going to see the King, and without saying another word I left my moving castle in the hands of a fire demon, a young child, and a very sick women who may never wake up.

I walk into the castle hearing the name "Howl Pendragon" ringing through my ears from it being called through the castle, there as no escape for me now. Madame Sulliman surely knew I was here, and I knew she was ready to take my powers. Although I knew where I was going from my lessons at the castle so may years ago I let the escorts take me to her, knowing that if there was a "wrong" turn I could simply fix their mistake. The trip took less time then I remember and before I knew it I was in front of the women who I had so desperately tried to avoid for the rest of my life, but I had to do this, I had to do this for Sophie.

"Ah, Howl how nice to see you again, please come sit." She said waving her hand towards the empty seat across from herself.

"Madame Sulliman, you're looking well." She smiled a grin at me, one that I had seen so many times before, before she took some wizards powers. She was an evil woman, never giving anyone a break.

"Howl, well I can say that I am surprised to see you here." She laughed as she spoke sounding funny to herself I guess. I for one was not laughing. "What brings you here? I know that you have to have a purpose, you wouldn't have shown just because I asked you." I looked her right into the eyes and I could feel her pulling me to her, not physically, not even mentally, but I could feel her pulling my powers.

"Madam Sulliman, I have a problem." She laughed at my statement, just like I knew she would. Her laugh was cheerful, it also sounded old, like she hadn't laughed in a very long time and was out of practice.

"Her name is Sophie, if I'm not mistaken." I jumped, almost out of my seat and looked at her wide-eyed, how had she known? How did she know when Calcifer kept up so well hidden from the world?

"Y-y-yes." I stuttered getting that simple word out. This was a dumb move, a really dumb move.

"Well Howl, you see I would love to help your poor paralyzed love, but see I don't help the heartless." I almost growled at her, my anger rising above what I can handle.

"Madame Sulliman, I am not heartless." I did growl back at her, my voice rising through my throat so low I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to breathe. She laughed once again at my remark.

"But Howl, I believe you are. How's Calcifer? Moving the castle maybe? You are _heartless_ Howl, you have no heart in you it resides in Calcifer. He's the only thing that keeps you going everyday… or should I say that that's Sophie now?" I stood up; I have heard enough of her crap.

"It was nice seeing you Madame Sulliman, best wishes to the King." I said as I started to walk towards the back door where a cruiser from the military rested. I would have expected a fight with her, some kind of battle so she could take away my powers, but she simply let me walk out, but not before she could put her two sense in.

"You'll be back Howl you'll be back. I'm the only one that can save Sophie, if you really love her, you'll be back." She repeated and repeated until I walked out the glass doors and hopped on the machine, calling Calcifer with my heart, my light led me to my castle, to my home, to my family.

Weeks went by Calcifer, Markl, and myself all on a shift to watch and take care of Sophie. I knew that Madame Sulliman was right, only she had the power to help Sophie, but I could never let her take her from me. I had told Markl and Calcifer about what Madame Sulliman had said and asked for their opinion, both said to let her fight her own battle for her life. I agreed. The house had slowly become a wreck again, without Sophie to clean up things got piled and nothing got washed, if she ever woke up, we're all going to be switching places.

"Master Howl?" Markl looked down at me as I sat in front of Calcifer talking to him about this war and the Witch of the Waste. It was Markl's turn to watch Sophie; I jumped as I heard him. "I need to go to the bathroom, can you come up and watch her?" I sighed, my shoulders slumping as I walked up the stairs to go see Sophie. My shift was the afternoon, Markl's the morning, and Calcifer's at night, he was up anyway there was no point in Markl and I changing our sleeping pattern when he was already up. I looked at her, her sleeping body still fighting with herself to wake back up to come back to everyone. Markl came back in and sat next to me. "Don't you want to go fly for awhile? You haven't been out in weeks, you have to want to fly." He asked me, and he knew it was something that was on my mind. I had been thinking of it a lot. I've wanted to go out every night, but I can't bring myself to leave her, not since Sulliman.


	3. Stay Strong Howl Love Sophie

**I know this is really short, and isn't _that_ great, but I've been super busy with school and sports that I haven't had time to write, but I swear this is about to get REALLY good! So keep tuned. (:**

But maybe I had to, maybe I should just go see what Sulliman has to say, what she could do to bring Sophie back. But I would lose Calcifer, and who knows what would happen to me. What if I went to her and she took Calcifer from me and my body rejected my heart? Sophie could live and take care of Markl, like happily without me and my constant leaving and struggles with my inner self. Is that why she ran away in the first place, to get away from me? God, why do I care so much, I'm the horrific Howl, the man who eats the hearts of young girls, the womanizer. Why do I care so much for one girl, one old woman, someone so the opposite of my tastes. Why do I love her so much? I am a man without a heart, but I love her as if my body was filled with hundreds, and it hurts so much. This is why I gave my heart away years ago, so I would never feel this pain, but somehow Sophie, came and did exactly what I had planned to keep away for so many years. She's breaking my heart with every hour she stays asleep in the coma, every single moment.

"Hey Markl, why don't you go downstairs for a little while, get some extra sleep, or watch the castle as Cal gets some sleep, I need a little bit longer here with Sophie." He looked at me, his dark brown eyes saddened but he nodded his head and took off for the door and I whimpered as I heard it close.

I looked down at her sleeping for once more, her starlight hair gracefully placed around her head like a halo, she looked like an angel, huh… she pretty much was an angel. "Sophie, darling, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but if you can, I just want you to know we miss you so much out here. I think I'm going to Madame Sulliman to get help for you, its been weeks since we've seen your dark brown eyes, or that lovely smile, and that angelic voice of yours. It's taking such a toll on us, please Sophie, keep fighting." I looked down at her hand and grabbed it with my own slightly squeezing it as I dropped my head down to the bed and kissed her hand. I looked up once more, almost wishing that she was looking down at me smiling, but she wasn't, and as each day goes by I worry more and more that she never will again. I untwined our fingers and gently moved the covers and slid into bed next to her. I would have never done this if it was anyone else, not even if she was awake, but I needed to be close to her, as close as I could get. I intertwined our fingers again and looked up at my cluttered ceiling and sighed as I fell asleep dreaming of my childhood, and what it would have been like if I never sold my heart to a fire demon.

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><p><em><strong>Sophie's POV<strong>_

_"Sophie, darling, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but if you can, I just want you to know we miss you so much out here. I think I'm going to Madame Sulliman to get help for you, its been weeks since we've seen your dark brown eyes, or that lovely smile, and that angelic voice of yours. It's taking such a toll on us, please Sophie, keep fighting."_ I wanted to scream out to him that he did need to keep fighting, that I was right here fighting myself and that I would do anything to come back to him and Markl. I felt him grab my hand squeeze it and kiss it, and then I gasped inside my own head he released my hand and crawled into bed next to me and grasped my hand once again. I wanted to scream to him again, that I was here and I loved him so much, that nothing could stop me from getting back to him.

_Howl, if you could only read my mind, don't go to Sulliman again, I'll loose you, I just know it, don't Howl. I love you._

I knew I was to weak to move, I knew I had no strength left in my body at all but I couldn't help myself, I cried mentally, and that's when I felt actual tears streaming down my face. _Real_ tears. But what could this mean? Was I healing better then I could have ever imagined? Would I actually be able to pull through this? I felt the bed shake again and felt Howl's hands wipe the tears that were streaming down my face.

_"Sophie? Sophie! Are you there? Can you hear me!" _

That was the point of no return, I used all the strength left in me and I opened my eyes, I saw Howl's dark black hair hanging over his blue eyes. His green earrings getting tangled between them, and his face coming and caressing my face. "Howl, stay strong." I somehow managed to get out, and with that I had fallen back into my deep sleep. Blackness surrounding me in every direction as I mentally prepared myself in every way to fight of the demons inside my own head. I knew that was the only way to get back to the people I loved the most, my family.

_"Always Sophie. I love you so much." _

My heart broke as I twisted my head inside my dream, and left myself open for an attack, and the monsters in my dream took advantage of this and pounced on me, if I died in here would it be real?

"So you must be Sophie." a women spoke to me in my dream. I shook to monsters off and walked closer to her. Her body resting in a chair, a long staff in her hand. Her gray hair a lot darker then mine ever was, she was in clothes that looked like they were from the Royal Palace. "Let me introduce myself, I am Madame Sulliman."

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><p><strong>How about that ending! So is Madame Sulliman behind Sophie staying in a coma for so long or she actually trying to help Howl?<strong>


	4. I have a bond with Madame Sulliman

**I don't own Howl's Moving Castle! But I so wish I did , I told you it was about to get interesting!**

**Sophie's POV:**

I looked at her with wide eyes and sighed at her and became very aggravated. She was the one who wanted to take Howl away from me to fight for the king, but she was the one that can save me. "You're the lady that wants me dead?" I looked at her I was angry and upset, and a whirlwind of other emotions.

She laughed, somehow I knew she would, and I knew she would sound like she did, old, raspy, unhappy, and meaningless. "Sophie, I don't want you dead, I just want Howl to be good again. Less selfish and actually have a heart. He was a great apprentice; he was the one I had planned on replacing me when I grew to old. Do you know why Howl is incapable and unwilling to love you Sophie?" I looked down at her body, more fragile then I imagined; her hands wrinkled like how mine used to be. I shook my head. Howl was unable and not willing to love me? Did that mean he would never love me? Did I no longer have to fight anymore? I slowly closed my eyes and felt myself drift away from my freak coma. "Sophie, don't leave just yet," she said to me. I opened my eyes and looked at Sulliman once again. "There you go. Now Sophie, he sold his heart to a demon. You call him _Calcifer_. He holds Howl's heart, you've fallen in love with a heartless man Sophie Hatter." Howl's _heartless?_ He doesn't seem heartless! The way he treats Markl, and Calcifer, the way he laughs and jokes with all of us around. She's lying to me, she had to be, _right?_ "Doubting me? I'm giving you a week, _one_ week, _seven_ days, to get me back Howl's heart, and if you don't, well… you know… I have no problem killing a mortal." I gasped and sighed and wanted to cry, but I couldn't, I couldn't allow myself. I was not going to cry in front of this trash of a wizard. Disgusting and despicable, but I guess that's what you get for being old.

"Done." I agreed without any hesitation, knowing that if I showed any emotions she would prey on it, and I may not be a wizard, but I am not a dumb human and I know better then that.

"We have a bond Miss Hatter." She nodded her head and lifted and dropped her staff on the ground making her _and_ the floor disappear. I was falling and falling for what seemed like hours. I looked down and say a white floor coming up quite quickly and before I knew it I hit the ground and my eyes opened immediately as I sat straight up in Howl's bed, waking him.

"Sophie?" he asked me quite surprised, and I turned my head to the right and smiled at him, I never thought I'd be able to do that again. He got up from the bed and ran out of the room, I sat there completely confused as I looked down at my young hands, and smiled to myself.

Before I knew it I was surrounded by two of the most important people in my life, Markl and Howl. I smiled at them both as Markl threw himself onto me crying to my shoulder, he was crying so hard his words with inaudible. I just grabbed the back of his head and held him close to me, telling him that I was fine, and I could be forever. Even if I knew I was lying to him, I couldn't see him upset.

"Markl, can you go down and get the pots ready? I'll cook your favorite dinner, chicken noodle soup!" he nodded at me and hugged me once more before running out of Howl's room leaving me, and the great wizard himself. He had been standing towards the back of the room, near the door as Markl had attacked me, smiling a smile I had never seen on him before, I hope it would stay, I loved that look on him.

"So, you'll never regret loving me?" he said in a sarcastic voice, that sounded more and more like Howl with each passing word. I smiled at him as I slowly made my way out of bed, cringing a little, but I had been born and raised to at like nothing was wrong, it was who I am.

"Sorry Howl," I said as I walked closer to him. "Thought this was the only way I could actually keep myself young." I finished the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him. God I loved him so much. He gently hugged me back but I knew he was holding back because I was hurt.

"Come sit… I want to talk to you." I smiled at him and took his hand as he led me to his bed. He crawled to the far side and laid down, leaning on one side of his body resting his head on his hand, which was propped up underneath him. I followed him but I laid on my back not sure what my sides could take. He kept my hand and squeezed it and I squeezed back.

"Howl, I … I don't know how to tell you this." I started but he cut me off and scooted closer to me and I cuddled into his chest. This was so improper, so unreal, completely uncalled for in my generation, but somehow I just couldn't stop myself. I needed his warmth and his love, no matter what Madame Sulliman said about Howl being heartless.

"Let me talk first." He said to me and I smiled looking up at him. "I don't know what you've been able to piece together about me. But Calcifer holds a very important piece of me, and I don't know if I'm endangering either of us while telling you this, but I don't think I am. He holds my heart Sophie; I gave it to him many years ago so I could avoid love, and heartbreak. I became a womanizer, and heart eater, someone who has no capability to love. Somehow though since you've come into my life I've fallen in love with you too. Somehow, someway I get butterfly's when I see you, I get giddy when you talk to me, and right now I'm ecstatic that you're here with me, alive and looking at me, in my bed, smiling at me." I smiled at him and blushed a little as he picked up his free hand and rubbed in against my cheeks. "You've turned me into a hopeless romantic Sophie, and I will do anything to keep you safe." He smiled at me and winked. "Your turn." He said and I gulped as I tried to figure out how to say all this.

"Well Howl, right after I told you to stay strong, Madame Sulliman appeared to me. She told me about Calcifer, and you being heartless. She told me that I had a week to live – and then she would claim me back to the dead if I didn't get your heart back to her. I agreed Howl – but I don't want to, I just want to live this last week with you, and be happy for once in my life." I looked at him, his smile had dropped from his face and he looked like he was going to throw another hissy fit. "Howl," but he put his hand up to stop me from talking.

"Did she flat out say she would kill you?" he asked me and I just nodded my head, my voice would crack from the tears that are now running down my face. "Sophie, there's only one way to buy us more time if you don't want me or Calcifer to die." I brightened up; I knew Howl would come up with something. "It's against all magical rules to kill someone, wizard or mortal if they'rewithchild." He mumbled the last part, but I thought I heard him right. My body froze and I became very, very scared, and nervous.

"Did you just say I was going to have to get pregnant?" he just looked at me his blue eyes just as scared as I was.

"By the end of the week." He said and with that I passed out, my head on the pillow. I was _going to have to_ carry Howl Pendragon's baby. I'm only seventeen, wonderful.

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><p><strong>will Sophie choose to keep living and have Howl's kid or will Calcifer have another way out?<strong>


	5. Kiss Me?

**Two Chapters in a day, woohoo for keeping it easy before a track meet! **

**And A Big Thanks to **_Nausicaa of the Spirits_** telling me Sophie's actually **_**18**_**… keep reading and reviewing! Thanks for reading!**

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><p><strong>Howls POV:<strong>

Why her? Why did it have to be Sophie? Out of anyone I could have fallen in love with and had this happen it had to be Sophie. Someone who didn't deserve what I was asking her to do. She was frozen next to me until she passed out on the bed next to me and I ran to the bathroom getting a wet towel and placing it on her forehead and trying to wake her.

"Sophie, darling – wake up. I'm sorry I was stupid, that idea was stupid, I'm sure Calcifer will find another way out of this." Her brown eyes opened slowly in the next few minutes… and her cheeks turned a bright pink when she remembered what I had asked of her.

"Howl… its not that I wouldn't, I'm just… I'm eighteen and well… you're the first person that's ever felt like this towards me, and well, that's a lot to ask of me! Howl I haven't even been kissed yet!" Oh, well I guess then asking her to have my kid was _a bit_ too much to ask for. I turned my head away from her embarrassed for even bringing up the idea. "Howl," she said as she reached up and grabbed my check with her hand and pulled my face back to her. "I do love you, but…" she looked at my lips and then to my eyes, was she asking for me to?

"Sophie, I love you too." I said so softly that _I _wasn't sure that it had actually come out of my mouth. I leaned in closer to her face slowly, so if this wasn't what she wanted she could back away from me, but she didn't, she moved closer to me too. Her eyes kept moving from my lips back to my eyes. It felt like it took hours for us to finally get close enough to feel each other's breath. I moved closer so our foreheads and noses were resting on each other's. She had closed her eyes and her breathing had picked up rapidly. She looked so peaceful; I just wish I could freeze the moment forever. I started to move in closer my lips only centimeters away when Markl burst through my door to get Sophie to make dinner.

"Sophie come on! I'm…" he stopped as soon as he saw Sophie's and my positions. "Oh… I should have knocked, I'm sorry Master Howl!" he said as he backed out of my room and closed the door laughing as he ran down the stairs. We were separated now, she was sitting up straight and so was I. I looked at her and smiled and winked at her as her face grew an even darker shade of red.

"Well, that was embarrassing." Sophie said as she fanned her face trying to cool herself down. I smiled at her and grabbed her hand with mine.

"No it's not, Sophie, we're allowed to kiss… we're two adults and we can do anything we want." She smiled at me and I smiled back as I moved in close again but she was quick to jump up and move to the door.

"Sorry Howl, I have to go make dinner. Love you." She smiled as she walked out the door in her long blue dress. I smiled as I heard her gracefully walk down the stairs and I felt the castle shake, as surely Calcifer was happy to see her. When Markl went to bed, the three of us were going to have to talk about Sophie's situation; it was the only thing I could think of.

I walked downstairs a few moments later to see Sophie and Markl laughing and joking with Calcifer. It was nice to see her laughing and joking in her current situation. "Master Howl," Markl said as he ran over to me smiling. "I'm sorry about a little while ago, I didn't think you and Sophie…" his sentence drifted off as I rubbed the top of his head, ruffling his hair.

"It's ok Markl." I said trying to end the conversation before Calcifer go suspicious, because if he knew he would never let it go that we haven't kissed yet, or that Sophie hasn't been kissed yet.

"What's okay?" Calcifer asked from the hearth, right before Sophie sneaked up behind him and placed a pot of soup on top of him ready to be cooked. She looked at me and smiled as I smiled right back at her, I would get that kiss, tonight, whether it would kill me or not.

"Sophie, how long is the soup going to take?" I asked her and she looked at me and blushed a little, hardly noticeable to the average human but Markl and myself could pick it up.

"About an hour or so… Markl, why don't you go up and take a bath. It's been an exciting day, go cool off so after dinner you can go straight to bed." He huffed but looked at Sophie who had her arms crossed meaning business and he walked upstairs. She slowly walked over to me and joined our hands together.

"What did you have in mind Howl?" she said to me as she looked up into my blue eyes, her brown eyes a mix of different emotions.

"Well, I was thinking that we could go to a new portal I created while you were sick…" I trailed on the last part, trying to not mention that, even for a little while. She nodded her head and willing walked with me to the door to the castle as I turned the knob to the new color on the dial and opened the door, stepped out, and closed the door behind us.

Sophie let go of my hand and ran out into the new portal. "Howl, this is gorgeous!" she said as she was running around in the thousands of flowers growing from the ground. I smiled as she ran around like Markl did when I took him here.

"You like it? It's a present for you." She ran back over to me, and hugged me tightly; I felt my shirt start to get wet as I realized she was crying. "So, I guess you like it?" she nodded her head as she still lightly cried into my shirt. I smiled as I peeled her away from me and took her hand and walked to the cottage. "Do you see that? Down there?" I looked at her as she nodded her head. "That's the cottage where I grew up and spent many years studying here alone. This is the place where I sold my heart to Calcifer, it's so peaceful here isn't it?" I looked at her as she looked back at me her eyes wide.

"You were alone?" she asked and I nodded my head as I sat down in the flowers my legs completely covered. I patted the ground next to me as I straightened my legs and leaned back on my arms. It was night here, dark, and late – a time zone difference of course. She sat down on the ground next to me; she was so close to me I could feel her body heat on me. Her hand sat on top of mine her head was lying on my shoulder. "Why is it so late Howl?" she asked me and I smiled at her kissing her temple as she blushed a little.

"We're not close to home Sophie – we're actually quite far away, in a different time zone. Actually in spot in time where my magic actually stops time on the outside world…I would say we could all live here but… Madame Sulliman knows this place very well and this would be the first place she would check." She nodded her head and smiled up at me.

"So we could spend hours out here, and when we walked back into the castle, how long would have passed?" she asked and I looked down to her.

"Hours? Well, maybe a few minutes… it's not safe to spend a lifetime here, and go back though – your mind would be confused." She nodded her head once again and closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

"It's so peaceful Howl." I mimicked her movement leaning my head back and closing my eyes. I heard her shuffle to move but I didn't open my eyes until I felt her hand on my knee shaking me. "Howl…" her voice drifted off as I opened my eyes to see what was wrong. She was sitting there sitting crisscrossed in front of me and I followed her lead and moved into that position too, so our knees were touching. She quickly jumped up and touched my arm and screamed, "You're it." She was the child in this relationship! She started to run away before I could process the thought; I hadn't played this game in years! She was a couple hundred yards in front of me before I jumped up and started to chase after her.

"Get back here!" I screamed and she laughed a hearty laugh and ran faster and faster. "You won't win!" I screamed as she took a hard left turn and almost through herself off balance, which allowed me to gain some ground on her.

"Howl, stop trying, you won't win!" I laughed and started to run even quicker to catch up with her, which indeed I did. I grabbed her waist and pulled her in close to me and put my head in the crook of her neck and brought us down to the flowery ground. She was below me as I used my arms to keep my body above hers. She was laughing so hard and I was right there with her. She looked up at me and smiled as she brought her left hand to my face and cupped my cheek with it. I moved my face into her hand more, trying to get the warmth, and the feeling of her hand into my memory forever. "Howl?" she called me and I looked down at her brown eyes, which showed an emotion that I couldn't recognize in her.

"Sophie? Are you okay?" I asked her, worried that she was going to faint again and she smiled at me and her cheeks turned a little pink.

"Kiss me?"

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><p><em><strong>Would you rather hear this from Howl or Sophie's POV? Or switched up?<strong>_


	6. AN and Apology!

**Well hey everyone, I know it's been almost a month since my last update on this story, I don't know how it happened at all! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, I swear that this weekend I will update, school has been ridiculous and I've just started spring track and field, prom is coming up and well all I do these days is sleep, school, eat, track, and repeat. I swear I have some good things coming up though, so don't loose faith in the story or me. Thank you for reading this, and helping me make this picture come to life. **

**-Mockingjay1313**


	7. You Are The Ending To My Puzzle

**Howl's POV**

"Kiss me?" How could I hesitate when Sophie asked me? I looked around to see that nothing could happen and slowly moved closer to her. Our lips brushed against each other and she squeaked, whether out of excitement, or her being scared I'll never really know. The next moment she flung herself onto me, something I would never have expected from my little Sophie.

"Darling, we have all the time in the world." I spoke quietly in her ear but she still placed small kisses on my face. She ran her fingers through my hair and I closed my eyes trying to remember all of this as if one day this is all I might have of her.

"We don't Howl… we don't have long at all. That's the thing I want you to remember me." She wined to me and I sighed to her and smiled. I reached up and pressed my left hand to her cheek and she nudged her head into my hand. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"Sophie, do you think I could ever forget you?" if I weren't the great wizard Howl, I would have started to cry. How could my dear Sophie think that I would forget about her? Did she really think that she was just another piece in the big puzzle I have created? Does she not realize she's the final piece to the puzzle? "Sophie you are the ending to my puzzle." I spoke quietly to her and she smiled at me, and tears started to pour out of her eyes.

"Howl, what do you do with a puzzle when you're done with it? After the last piece has been placed?" I looked at her and turned my head as I saw where she was going with this.

"You, well you let it set there a few days- and then, you crumble it all and put it back in the box." I let a tear fall from my face.

"I'm going to die Howl, we can't stop the inevitable. It's going to happen today, tomorrow, or maybe not for years to come. You and I will die though, we will no longer have each other in body, but we are tied together by a much more powerful thing. Howl, we're tied together by out love for each other, our spirit, our hope."

"Sophie I can't let you die!" I looked at her and she just shook her head at me. Climbing off at me and standing up holding out her hand to help me up as well, but I just shook my head and continued to lay in the grass staring up at the sky.

"You can't let this get the best of you Howl. You are a great wizard, and I was only a distraction in your way to greatness." I looked at her, my mouth hanging open in surprise as she turned to walk back to the entrance to the castle.

I lie there and watch her walk back into the castle as she turned around and looked at me once more before walking into the castle and slamming the door behind her, probably waking poor Markl, and surely sparking suspicion from Calcifer. I wanted to go back and console her, tell her we'd figure something out and that it would all be okay in the end, that we'd always be together and we'd always have each other to depend and count on. I'd be lying of course; there was no way that we could save her without risking her life in the first place, which would mean taking her away from me earlier than planned.

What had she meant when she said she was a roadblock in the road to me becoming a great wizard. Sure I create and learn spells but I was the same wizard I have been for so many years, I wasn't on my way to greatness. Actually I was on the opposite road before she came about and who knows where I would be without her. I could give up Cal. I could do it and make Madame Sulliman happy, but in the end that would kill… no slaughter the happiness of the others as well. Calcifer brings life and an odd form of fire demon love into this household and well the house would be dead without him.

I laid there for what seemed like hours looking up at the darker sky, wondering what I could do and finally I realized it, what I was going to have to do to save Sophie. And it required going to the opposite side of the world, well the wizard world, and it required a few of Calcifer's demon friends.


End file.
